OF ACCOMPANYING ANIMALS AND PLANTS. 547 



" 3 2 5> J un e 19th " (Clint), the first general Council among Christians, convened at Nice in Asia 

 Minor. Attended by an Indian bishop, Ioannes (Coqueb.-Montbret in rec. voy. et mem. iv. p. 27), 

 and by " nearly one hundred " Egyptian and Lybian bishops, the total number being "three hundred 

 and eighteen." Hosius of Spain taking the lead : the Western mode of celebrating Easter was 

 established. The celibacy of the clergy was strenuously and successfully opposed by Paphnutius. 

 Metropolitan bishoprics were constituted (Alst. p. 368 and 392). The Arian question was discussed, 

 the Greek word "omoousion " adopted ; and the " Nicene creed " formed. Towards the close of the 

 session, Constantine entered and pronounced an address in Latin ; which was replied to by Eusebius ; 

 and on the " 2.5th of August," the session terminated. — The authority of this Council continues to 

 be recognized by the Greek Church (E. A. Soph.). 



" The same year " (Clint.), end of the. chronicle of Eusebius. Who on other subjects continued 

 writing. 



"The same year" (cod. Theodos., and Clint.), law of Constantine prohibiting gladiators. — 

 Exhibitions continued notwithstanding at Rome, and at Antioch. 



The Roman lexicographer Sext. Pompeius Festus may have been at this time writing, his 

 remarks on the word " supparus " implying familiarity on the part of readers generally with the cere- 

 monies of the Christian religion. — He is mentioned by Macrobius (Sm. b. d.). 



Polygonum (Helxine) convolvulus of Eastern Europe and Siberia. Called in Britain black bind- 

 weed (Pr\or): the S C^N 6 U L2lC& herb of Pompeius Festus, killing growing grain — by twining 

 around (Migne edit. Paul. Diac), may be compared : P. convolvulus is described by Bauhin hist. ii. 

 p. 158 ; is termed "fagopyrum vulgare scandens " by Tournefort inst. 511 ; and is known to occur as 

 a weed in cultivated ground in Italy and Sicily (Bertol., and Guss.) and throughout middle Europe as 

 far as Denmark (Ray, fl. Dan. pi. 744, and Pers.) ; was observed by Sibthorp, and Fraas, in culti- 

 vated ground in Greece ; by Bieberstein, and Ledebour, in the Tauro-Caspian countries. In its wild 

 state, was observed by Pallas trav. i. 58 in wooded tracts on the Upper Volga ; by Gmelin, frequent 

 throughout Siberia (A. Dec). By European colonists, was carried to Northeast America, where it 

 continues a weed in cultivated ground, and was observed in Carolina as early as 1793 by Michaux. 



" 326, January " (Clint.), Alexander succeeded by Athanasius, " nineteenth " bishop of Alex- 

 andria. 



"The same year = 'hien-ho,' 1st year of Tching-ti II. of the Tcin "or Ninth dynasty — (Chinese 

 chron. table). 



"The same year" (cod. Theodos., and Clint.), law of Constantine respecting heretical and 

 schismatic Christians. 



" The same year" (Kitt. cycl. bibl.), arrival in Palestine of Helena mother of Constantine, now 

 in her "80th " year. She "built churches on the alleged site of the Nativity at Bethlehem, and of 

 the Resurrection on the Mount of Olives." — Of extant churches and monasteries in Egypt, the 

 earliest are by the Coptic inmates attributed to donations from Helena. 



"327 A. D." (Hieronym., and Clint.), in Bithynia, the city of Drepanum rebuilt by Constantine, 

 and the name changed to Helenopolis ; in honour of his mother Helena. 



Hardly later than this date (Graha Munjari tables, Puranas, and Bentl.), Sutapa reigning in 

 Hindustan. 



"330, May nth " (Idat., Clint., and Plate in Sm. b. d.), dedication of a new city on the site of 

 Byzantium, and the removal there by Constantine of the Roman seat of government. He also trans- 

 ported an obelisk from Egypt to the new city ; which received the name of " Constantinopolis," city 

 of Constantine. 



" As early as this date " (M. Russel p. 1 10 and 250, and Sm. geogr. diet.), Christianity preached 

 in Abyssinia by the Abba Salama or Frumentius. 



331 A. D. (= 303 -|- " 38 years reign " in Mahavamsa xxxvii), Kiertissry-magawarna succeeded 

 by his brother Dattatissa, now king of Ceylon. 



333 A. D. = " Dalmatio et Dalmaticei Zenophilo cons." (T. Wright early trav. in Palest.), 

 arrival in Jerusalem of the author of the "Itinerarium a Burdigala " (Bordeaux) : after journeying 

 by land, across France to Turin, Pavia, Milan, Brescia, Verona, Aquileia ; and thence across Nori- 

 cum, Pannonia, Illyria, Dacia, Thrace to Constantinople, and across Asia Minor. 



Greek inscriptions of about this time (Franz), presenting the following forms of the letters, h, a. 

 One hundred and thirty-ninth generation. May 1st, 334, onward mostly beyond youth : Ephraem 

 of Edessa : the Greek philosophers, Maximus of Ephesus, and the Neo-Platonist Aedesius ; the 

 medical writer Philagrius ; the historian Eustochius ; the rhetors, Proaeresius, Epiphanius of Petra, 

 Tuscianus, and Diophantus ; the Christian Greek writers, the elder Gregorius of Nazianzus, Aste- 

 rius, Auda'eus of Syria, Theodoras of Heraclea, Triphyllius of Cyprus, Eusebius of Emisa, Serapion 

 of Thmuis, Didymus of Alexandria, and Hilarion : the Latin writers, the orator Gennadius ; the his- 

 torians Eu'tropius, and Festus Rufus ; the grammarian Evanthius ; the rhetors Exsuperius, Patera, 



